MYB thanks you for volunteering your time to coach. The effort you put into your players will
make a huge difference in their success on and off the field. Our goal as coaches should be to
offer a fun environment for the players to improve. We want them to play again next year, and
ultimately, to coach the game they loved as kids!

Coaching is not always easy, especially when you are alone. Below are some practice plans and fundamentals.
There are also videos on running efficient and effective practices.

The last thing players want is to stand around. So set up stations, and get them moving! If you are alone,
have the players give ground balls and pop flys to eachother. Have them run the bases. Keep them moving!

General Practice Guidelines

Running a practice requires planning and organization. With limited field space, optimizing practice time is more essential than ever. Some basic suggestions for structuring a practice:

Keep the practice to 90 minutes. Anything longer and players will lose focus.

Plan your practice a head of time. Take a few minutes and write down the skills and drills you want to emphasize. Go over the plan with your coaches while players are warming up and be ready to go.

Organize the practice using a stations-based approach where you and your assistants break into smaller groups and emphasize specific drills/skills. Rotate the players through the various stations. This keeps the players moving and engaged.

Avoid hitting or pitching to a single player while remaining players stand and watch.

Be positive and enthusiastic, the coaches set the tone for practice, keep the energy level high.

Players will struggle as they learn a new technique or skill, stay patient. You’ll see tremendous improvement from the first weeks.

Be creative. Vary the drills used at each practice-incorporate competition. Keep it fun.

Talk to other coaches, share drills, and use coaching resources (see below) to expand your arsenal.

Coaching Solo - Every coach has been in this situation! You can run an effective practice by yourself. Please see solo plan below.

The Ripken Way Coaching Guide - includes fundamentals and practice plan